kraxberger



M. E. KRAXBERGER com: HARVESTING APPARATUS 18,159

Aug. 18, 1931.

Original Fil ed April 15, 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Qwwmtoz MEmmk/ n ML E.'KRAXBERGER CORN HARVESTING APPARATUS Aug. 18, 1931.

Criginal Filed April 15, 1926 2 sheets-sheet 2 gnwntoz MEI/awa attouwqReiuued Aug. 18, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Original No.1,898,085, dated November 27, 1928, Serial No. 102,250, filed April 15,1926. Application for reissue filed January 8, 1931.

This invention relates to a corn harvesting apparatus and moreparticularly to a device of this character adapted to harvest ears of0011: while leaving stalks standing in the fie An important object oftheinvention is to produce a device of this character having a novel andimproved manually controlled knife for cutting the ears of corn from them stalks.

A further object of the invention is to provide a novel means forpositioning the corn stalks so that the ears of corn carried therebywill be conveniently arranged with respect to the person controlling theknife.

A still further object of the invention is the provision in a device ofthis character of means for conveying the severed ears of corn to asecondary mechanism which may be either a corn harvester or simply abarge for the reception of the ears.

These and other objects I attain by the construction shown in theaccompanying drawings, wherein for the purpose of illus- 35 tration isshown a preferred embodiment o my invention and wherein Figure 1 is aplane view of a corn harvesting machine constructed in accordance withmy invention;

Figure 2 is a section on the line 2-2 of Fi ure 1;

igure 3 is a detail sectional view showing one manner of driving theknives;

Fi ure 4 is a further detail view showin the rive connections for theconveyor an knife.

Referrin now more particularly to the drawings, t e numeral 10 generallyindicates the axle of a wheel supported structure having supportingwheels 11. From this axle is supported a longitudinally extending trough12 including side members 13 and 14 converging downwardly to an openbottom 15 beneath which operates a conveyor 16 of any suitablecharacter. The rear end of this conveyor may discharge into atransversely extendingconveyor, generally indicated at 17 and thisconveyor may discharge to either a husking mechanism or a barge, asdesired. Neither of these mechanisms are disclosed.

Serial No. 507,535.,

. The open bottom of the trough beneath which the conveyor operatesterminates a little short of the end of the trough, as indicated,providing at the ends of the trough sections 18 securing to the troughside 14 a lower end portion 13 of the trough side 13 which is separatedfrom the body of this trough side by a longitudinally extending slot 19.The sections of the trough at the slot are suitably flanged, as at 20,to prevent the formation of cutting edges. At the forward end of thetrough, diverging guides 21 are provided for directing stalks to theslot 19 and the slot is made of such width that while comfortablyaccommodating stalks of corn, it will not permit passage of ears whichhave been removed therefrom. The sides 13 and 14 of the trough areconnected at their upper ends by suitable arch braces 22.

A cutting knife is provided including a head 23 hearing cutters 24 oerated from a flexible shaft 25. This flexible shaft is, at

resent shown, composed of short rigid engths of shafting 26 connected byuniversal joints 27, but any construction for providin a vertical drivemay be employed. The exible shaft 25 and the conveyor 16 are driven inany suitable manner. In the 'resent instance, one of the wheels 11 isdisc os'ed as a drive wheel havin chain and sprocket connection 28 witha s aft 29 from which the drives of the conveyor and shaft 25 are taken.

Adjacent the side 14 of the trough is arranged an operators seat 30 andthe head 23 is provided with a handle 31 by means of which the head maybe manipulated from the seat to bring the knives 24 into engagement withthe ears of corn as the stalks pass through the slot 20. The severedears of corn fall to the bottom of the trough and are directed therebyto slot 15 and accordingly to the conveyor 16.

It will, of course, be obvious that the construction hereinbefore setforth is ca able of a certain range of change and modification withoutmaterially departing from the spirit of the invention and I accordinglydo not limit In self to such s cific structure except as hereinafterclaimed.

I claim:- In corn harvesting mechanism and in combination, a trough,there being a longitudinally extending slot in said trough, means at oneend of the trough for directing plant stems into the slot as the troughis moved along a row, flexibly mounted power driven knives adapted to bemoved in any direction independentl of said trough for severing ears ofcorn rom the corn stalks during their assage through the slot, aconveyor 1n the ottom of the trough, said slot being of a width topermit passage of the corn stalks while reventing passage of the ears ofcorn 1 where y the severed ears of corn are separated from thestalks'and are placed on the conveyor.

In testimony whereof I hereunto afiix my signature. MICHAEL E.KRAXBERGER.

